Search results

A pillow case! Should work a treat. Steven

My bees are on the Lime and HB at the moment, I treat with one dose of treatment later on in the year and then OxAcid in the winter. For me this works and I don't have any trouble with varroa more than normal. Hopefully I will have enough honey for the bees to survive on without feeding. Check...

Hi, once you have taken the stores and the queen has slowed the laying rate the bees will store in the available space, Double Brood boxes holds more stores than a single brood box with one super, with the same amount of bees going into winter. Steven

I have never tried as I think it will be a waste of time, when I tried to smoke a cluster of bees in an air duct they just sat there. Got most out anyway and you see how hard it is getting bees off a branch when you have taken the rest of a swarm away. Once there and after 2 week will have comb...

If you have another hive then combine, looking for a queen, when you do your inspection take out the last frame, and gentle put it over the other frames flat, this keeps the bees quite and down. Inspect the frames as per usual and retain the gap as you move the frames after inspection. The queen...

I see you only have the one hive, I would go with PH on this and if you have a strong hive, buy in a queen to get her in and laying your over wintering bees. If you do buy a queen in, she will come in the post with a few nurse bees, and instructions on how to introduce her. Make should you get...

Nice simple answers to clear questions. Well done. One other thing is you don't need a QE until you have supers on, just the crown board and then roof. regards Steven

You can only go on what we think is normal, yes there are times when bees do different things than we think and learnt. But, normally once capped gone, if you want to change the queen, and you think it's a supercedure, then leave the cell alone, but make sure it's the only cell left and it's...

The reason is that laying workers have not got the body length to get to the bottom of the cells, thats why the eggs are seen on the side of cells not the bottom.

Have you a spare brood box? if yes transfer the bees on there frames into it and combine, if not. What do people think about using a couple of supers after all it will only be on for a couple of days. I haven't done this myself but I have thought about it. Steven

... not worth a fly.

Well done, but last year was not this year. The colony is weak, and to get a laying queen in and laying well, there may not be enough bees to tend the new brood as the old bees are dying off all the time. Combining makes a strong colony and you can do it right away, after all, you are not saving...

You need to change your hive numbers, Question: are the swarms from your hives? Are they all building good enough for winter? You can put them in a 6 frame nuc box and feed them over winter. cheers Steven

It's numbers of bees you need in a strong colony, as long as the hive is Queenless, combine with one of the others to get the bee numbers up and make a strong hive. I wouldn't buy a queen at this time of year as she will have to start laying once you have her and we only have maybe (with the jet...

Laying workers don't lay at the bottom of the cells.

If you have a queen cell, once capped the bees are Gone! No QC's is the ideal, how you control swarming is up to you. You have posted a few times now, have you got a mentor? or a good book to read up on, once the weather gets colder you want a young good laying queen. Having a swarm this time of...

I took mine to a local 'sewing shop' where 2 ladies run it and turned it around in a week. Have you one in your area, as they can get long zips. Steven

You have 22 hives, how did you manage last year? I look at it as a sauna, take weight off and once you are in the hives I don't seem to notice... but, it's when you stop. Please you have to bother, I'm sick of getting swarm phone calls. Keep Calm and Carry On Beekeeping! regards Steven

Hi Poly, if you want a swarm or 2, I can put you on our swarm collectors list, having at least 2 a day, always know when the calls are coming as soon as the sun comes out after the spell of bad weather. Collected a very large swarm yesterday. If you can travel to Sheffield or Rotherham you will...

No dummy boards. Make some, two bits of wood the size of a brood frame with a bar on the top. Done. But I'm with the Doc. Put in frames for a full hive, there should be a nectar flow on and if you feel like they can do with a boost of syrup it's up to you, but, your supplier should be able to...